The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-01-05
(To b Consiaasedl
PARIS CATS.
They Are Quite as Wen Worth st udying
as Turkish Dogs-A Curious Feline

A good many articles and books,
says the Paris Figaro, have been writ
ten about the dogs of Constantinople,
which are distributed over the town in
regular quarters. live on their own re-
sources. and manage all their little af-
fairs themselves. Why should we not
say few words about the cats of Paris?
The feline colonies of Paris are quite as
well worth studying as the Turkish
dogs.
Parisians have habit which is no
less stupid than cruel. When cat has
kittens everyone goes into rhapsodies
over their prettiness. The kittens are
spoiled. They have their milk brought
them. they are fondled and made much
of. But no sooner do they grow up
than their owners suddenly come to the
conclusion that they are troublesome
and useless animals, if indeed not posi-
lively dangerous to the children What
do you suppose happens then? The
owner takes poor pussy out one fine
day and-loses il.
OF course he would never dream of
killing cat. No, indeed. He could
never bring himself to kill such sweet
pretty creature. He prefers to lose it;
that is to say, TO make it suffer thous
and tortures. After being brought up
in cotton wool pussy will have to go a
wandering in the cold and rain. with
all the dogs at its heels and all the boys
in the neighborhood giving chase with
sticks and stones. After having lived
daintily on bread and milk, it will not
even have the garbage in the streets to
feed on, now that the police regulation
has forbidden rubbish heaps to be made
in the cutters In very few days the
poor beast will be dead of misery. But
its master will have the satisfaction of
saying: Il was too tender-heaTted to
Kill it. only lost it.
There are whole colonies of cats in
the Paris markets, and every day these
colonies are swollen by the arrival of
new recruits. From time to time they
get so numerous that they are really
dangerous. At the HalleS Centrales the
commissaire de police has often had
to authorize regular battues of the skim
ny, starving cats who roam about there
like wild beasts, to the public peril.
In many Partisan houses, especially
those boasting large gardens, there are
feline colonies A round dozen of cats,
at least. have been brought stealthily to
my house in the dead ofthe night in
half-open baskets. How do they live,
poor creatures? Now and then char
liable soul has compassion on them.
But this is the exception. and it is not
prudent to be pitiful Once YOU feed
them the grateful animals will come
back to be fed again, and you can not
get rid of them. | have adopted as
many as five. one after another. and
kept them alive until had succeeded
in getting homes for them.
In the Rue Condorcet the house of
Prof Duprez was turned into an asylum
for a whole army of abandoned cats.
/ might also mention the cat colonies in
the cellars of the Figaro office, where
they defend the paper and printing
implements from the assault of rats and
mice which infest the place. But / will
go on at once to the most curious of the
cat colonies in Paris-the one at the
prefecture de police.
No matter at what hour of the day or
night you may chance to be passing by
the big buildings which stretch from
the court of assizes to the tribunal cor
rectionnel, you will see an army of cats,
of all sizes, breeds, and colors. seated,
lying down, or prowling about the
place.
To whom do they belong2 To nobody.
They are all lost cats. Who feeds them?
LA mere aux chats. "
Every day. wet weather or fine. at 8
in the morning and at 9 at night, a
good old lady arrives, bending beneath
the weight of heavy basket. She settles
down in the courtyard known as the
GERS out of her basket and puts a piece
of meat on each. The cats know their
feeding hours and cluster around. Then
the distribution begins All is done
fairly. There is no squabbllng. Each
little boarder waits in turn. knowing it
will not be forgotten. As she serves
| them the good old 'mother of the CATS
| has kind word and caress for each,
| and each cat answers with a grateful
| purr.
When all have been fed. the ''mere
| des chats bids her children good by.
| gathers up her saucers and departs. j
| have taken some pains TO find out the
| good wonian's name. She is a Nine.
| W, and lives with her son, an
usher at the Cour de Cessation. She is
63 years old, and has fed the eats of the
prefecture for the past five years. AT
| first her son tried to prevent her. Blu.
she would not be dissuaded, appealed
to the administration and had the per-
mission she needed formally granted
her. She has only one trouble-the
thought that she is growing old.
IF I were to fall i'll" She exclaims,
"who would feed the poor things?'
There are many other cat colonies in
Paris. but it would take too long to
| describe them.